Samson C01U Pro USB Microphone review

So you want to record your next podcast, voiceover demo, or narrate a video? Ready to step up from your laptop or tablet’s built in mic but don’t want to destroy your bank account? Let’s see what the Samson CO1U Pro USB Microphone has to offer.

Samson’s original USB condenser microphone, the CO1U, was introduced in 2005. The CO1U Pro comes with a threaded microphone stand with tripod screw adapter, small tripod, and USB cable.

The microphone is a pretty good size. Not dainty. Note the headphone jack towards the bottom. This can be used for monitoring.

Closeup of the grille.

The microphone weighs in at just under 16 1/2 ounces.

The little fold up tripod (included) is quite handy for desktop use.

Here’s the microphone stand mount. The brass-colored threads attach to a standard mic stand. The threaded insert is for a tripod mount. Note the USB connector on the end of the microphone itself.

The mic mount attaches via threaded ring. Here it is, taken apart.

Connecting the Samson CO1U Pro is pretty straightforward, but if you want to connect it to your iPad, you’ll need this Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter ($29). It will NOT work on the iPhone 5S, however.

Update from Samson: The CO1U Pro actually does work with the iPhone 5 and 5s with the lightning adapter as long as they are running IOS7 and will even work with the iPhone 4s if it is running IOS7 and has the 30 pin to USB camera connector.

I set the Samson CO1U Pro alongside my Neumann TLM 103 condenser microphone in my recording “booth” (yes, it’s just a closet that’s been acoustically treated with 4″ wedge foam and other things). I can hear some of you shouting already… how can the Samson CO1U Pro stack up against a microphone costing roughly 10x as much?

First up, the Samson C01U Pro. The Samson CO1U Pro has a supercardioid pattern. I connected the microphone with the Apple USB adapter to my iPad Air and recorded on Twisted Wave for iOS. No post processing or equalization has been added.

The Neumann TLM 103 has a cardioid pattern. The TLM 103 was connected to an Apogee One for iPad and Mac and with Twisted Wave for iOS on my iPhone 5S. (This clip was recored at the same time as the Samson CO1U clip.) Again, no post processing or equalization has been added.

I will leave you to decide what sounds better. Keep in mind that your source material (voice, instrument) may work better with some microphones, but not others. But for the money, the Samson C01U Pro works quite well as a plug and play, no nonsense USB device or an ultraportable iPad studio on-the-go.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by Samson. Please visit their site for more info.

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If you’ve been told your recordings sound “hollow” I’m *guessing* your room acoustics may be a factor, where noise and reflections are getting picked up.

Try positioning the microphone closer, record in a different room if you can, etc.

There are times when I can’t do much. During a FaceTime video chat, I can’t just drag a desktop computer in the recording booth. So instead of relying on my USB video camera’s built-in microphone- which works OKAY- I wear a headset with boom microphone. It gives me some privacy (I hear the other side in my ear) and my outgoing speech is picked up from the microphone at the tip of the boom, which sounds less “hollow” or “dude are you on a speakerphone?”

(Note: One of my pet peeves? Being on a phone call where the other party is on “speaker”. Knock it off, world!)

From what I can tell, this particular device can be set up on your computer as a “playback device”. That is, when you choose where your sounds come out of, you can pick the Samson. Then, of course, your software can play whatever you wish. If your SOFTWARE can play back during recording, then yes.

Hi Gwen, I got the Pro after reading this review and I’m very happy with it and the headphone output is great. You can either directly monitor the mic, or let it play through from a DAW. I use mine for music.